Tips to Bonsai a Jade Plant - Crassula ovata sp.

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Jade plant (Crassula ovata sp.) is an excellent species for bonsai as they need low maintenance and have a distinct bonsai like appearance. The plant is also known as Money Plant, Money Tree, Dollar Plant or Dollar Tree. The plant has a peculiar distinct jade green colour and that is how the name Jade Plant has come into existence. The easy-to-grow jade plant tolerates dry soil, average humidity and sunny positions. Jade grows well in hot sunny climates and is a houseplant in most parts of India. Jade plant is a succulent native of Africa. Jade has a thick, fleshy, evergreen leaves and has a thick fleshy trunk. Jade plants become bonsai easily and adapts well to pruning and wiring required to maintain the size of the tree like shape and structure.

Tips to Bonsai a Jade Plant

To make a bonsai out of a Jade plant purchase a small healthy jade plant with thick trunk and many branches.
Select a suitable bonsai pot with two thirds width of that of the jeight of the plant so as to match the finished bonsai.
Take small pieces of broken terracotta pot little larger than the drainage hole and place over the drainage holes to prevent washing out of soil while watering.
Make a bonsai soil mix or add one part river sand one part compost and one part leaf mould. Excellent drainage is very important for a bonsai soil, so adding more of river sand or coarse sand will solve the issue.
Remove the jade plant from the pot, loosen and remove the excess soil and gently and spread the roots in the bottom of the pot.
Trim the excess roots spreading outside the pot to fit in the selected pot. Prune dead and downward-growing large tap root like roots.

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To create a tree like alternating branches pattern remove either one of each opposite branches with a sharp cutters. Prune twiggy and leggy branches off and tip branches and create a tree canopy shape.
Spread some potting mix in the pot. Place the tree, spread the roots out and add mor potting mix above and cover fully leaving a quarter to half inch for watering. Use a anchoring wire and secure the tree in the position in the pot, if necessary. Leave the plant to dry up and do not water for a day or two. Otherwise the roots may get rotted. After one or two daysr regular watering can be followed.
Do not add fertilizers at this point of time. Fertilizers should be applied only when the roots are in tact and active, Fertilizers can be applied after two or three weeks only.
Place the bonsai pot in a shady position for two days and when you start to water transfer to a full sunny position.
Jade plants can withstand low or poor watering and it can be watered once in two days, but if the pot is too small or shallow regular daily watering is recommended.
If the water is too less the leaves will be small and compact and if the water is more the leaves will be large, fleshy and the inter leaf space will be more. From this you can find out the water requirement.